Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “In Nature Is Dominance (Neon)”
Summary
A teeming nocturnal forest scene rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black-and-red palette, where nude figures hunt, club, strangle and overpower one another beneath silhouetted trees, the wounded and dead piled across the forest floor. The work distills Peterson's central thesis: that beneath the veneer of civilization, raw dominance and predation govern human behavior.
Why It Matters
In Nature Is Dominance" is one of Peterson's most explicit statements of his core theme: that violence and the will to power are not aberrations but the natural state from which society barely shields us. The forest setting strips away the urban and architectural backdrops of his other work, returning the figures to a primal arena where bodies attack, drag and crush one another in a chaotic, all-against-all struggle. The composition's frieze-like density and writhing nudes draw directly on Greek vase painting and Hogarth's moralizing crowd scenes, while the searing red-on-black reads as both blood and warning. It is a key example of how Peterson uses high-contrast graphic flatness to make brutality legible and impossible to look away from.
Collector Perspective
A 2014 screen print in an edition of 51, this "Neon" colorway (an aggressive red-on-black variant) is the scarcer and more visually charged version of the image. Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil, and this signed example shows the artist's signature at lower right with the numbering at lower left. With only 51 impressions of this colorway, it sits among Peterson's tighter editions and appeals to collectors who want a definitive, theme-naming work rather than a quieter composition. Market interest in Peterson's prints has been steady, supported by his Shepard Fairey association and consistent gallery presence; condition, margins and the desirability of the bolder colorway are the main value drivers.
Historical Context
Produced in 2014, during the period when Peterson was consolidating his reputation through gallery shows and print releases that built directly on the imagery of his earlier "Victory" and conflict-driven bodies of work. The mid-2010s saw him refine the flat, weaponized black/white/red graphic language that defines his most recognizable prints, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth's social satire and street-art directness. "In Nature Is Dominance" belongs to this mature run of single-image screen prints that translate his large-scale paintings of mob violence and abuse of power into collectible editions.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A dense nocturnal forest filled with nude figures attacking, clubbing, strangling and dragging one another, with the wounded and dead strewn across the ground. It depicts an all-against-all struggle for dominance, rendered in flat black and red against silhouetted trees.
What is the edition size?
51. This is the 'Neon' (red-on-black) colorway of the image.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil; this example shows the signature at lower right and the edition number at lower left.
What is the medium?
Screen print, produced in 2014.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict in a flat black/white/red/gold palette. He draws on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator.
Related Works
About the Artist
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, rendered in a flat, limited palette of black, white, red and gold. His chaotic compositions of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization’s surface, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. A frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey, he shows internationally; his prints, sculptures and editions are widely collected in the urban-contemporary market.
Collecting Cleon Peterson at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Cleon Peterson prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Cleon Peterson prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Cleon Peterson prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Cleon Peterson and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.